Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J.B OND. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 439,319. Patented Oct. 28, 18-90.

Q/Viwwowo gwoemlfo-z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BOND, OF-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,319, dated October 28, 1890.

I Application filed February 21,1890. Serial No. 341,339. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES BOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The general object of my improvement is to facilitate the coupling automatically of cars of the same and of different height and of cars while upon the curves on the road, to permit the cars to be buifed without coupling, and to admit of the automatic uncoupling of cars when the same are upset by accident, but more particularly to improve the form of construction of the pawl or latch which catches and retains the link, and its mode of operation. These objects are accomplished by the features illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved car-coupling showing the position of the parts when coupled. Fig. 2 is a View of the pawl in detail.

A is a draw-head havinga bell-shaped mouth and sufficient internal width to give free access and play to links of cars of different height and to admit of the coupling of cars while on curves.

B is a pawl or latchof nearly the same width as the inner portion of the draw-head, rounded at its upper end to fit into a socket a, formed in the front upper part of the draw-head and held therein by means of a bolt d and a nut. The preferred sh ape of this pawl is that shown in the drawings. At its lower end is formed a lip or toe t, rounded or made of segmental form to correspond and engage with the similar form of the upturned ends of the link R, in order to enable the cars to turn on curves without friction and strain of the coupling. On the upper surface of the pawl, at about the point e, is attached a chain f, which passes up to the platform or side of the car, and is for the purpose of raising the pawl and uncoupling; but other means, if desired, may

be employed to raise the pawl. The pawl, pivoted on the rod (1 in the socket c, fits into a seat formed in the upper part of the drawhead, said seat being made by a cut through the draw head of such a form as to conform to the shape of the outer surface of the pawl in its positionwhenraisedandwhenlowered. When the pawl is raised to permit uncoupling, the upper surfacem of the pawl engages with the corresponding surface m of the seat or bear ing. Similarly, when the pawl is lowered to effect coupling, the under surface 91. of the pawl rests on the corresponding inclined smooth surface it of the seat.

It will be seen that the pawl at all times is held above the floor of the draw-head. Heretofore it has usually been necessary to support the pawl above the floor of the drawhead by means of rods, levers, or chains acting independently of the draw-head. Such necessity, however, is obviated by this invention, one of the main features of which is the providing of the bearing or seat n, on which the pawl may rest when hanging in its lowest position and 7 either engaged or disengaged from the link. It'will also be readily seen that in this device the strain comes entirely on the seat n of the draw-head at the point where the under face n of the pawl impinges on said seat n of the draw-head and on the socket 0, thus relieving the bearing at d of excessive strain andfreeing the link of the pressure which would otherwise be exerted upon it by the pawl pressing it down on the bottom of the draw-head when strain of drawing the cars was placed upon it.

The lower under face of the toet of the pawl is made rounded to fit the corresponding rounded upturned ends of the link, so that in operation the link automatically raises the pawl to permit its entrance, and when entered allows the pawl to fall and engage its toet with the turned-up end s of the link. When it is desired to uncouple, the pawl is simply raised by the chain f, the toe t is disengaged from the upturned end 3 of the link, and the latteris free to slide out of the drawhead. i

What I claim is- In a car-coupling, a draw-head provided with a socket c, and acut-out portion having one inner curved surface m and another smooth inclined surface n, in combination with a pawl B, having a rounded portion to fit in and be pivoted in said socket, an upper curved surface m, and a smooth inclined face at, to fit the corresponding surfaces of the draw-head, and a toe z", to engage with the head of a coupling-link, substantially as described. to

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES BOND. Witnesses:

ERNEST L. TUsTIN, JOSEPH M. ELLORS. 

